Protect Your Own-Always
by arianapeterson19
Summary: He was not the world, he was what held the world together and without him, everything would fall apart. The sequel to "Protect Your Own" which unfortunately yes, you really need to read first. T because I am paranoid...and the whole abuse and drama and mild word usage.
1. Movie Night

"Come on, Jacky," coached Aster, standing a few feet in front of her as she made her way slowly down the bars, shuffling, painfully, but still moving forward. "You can do this, just a few more feet."

School had let out for the summer the day before and Aster was spending his first summer night helping Jacky practice walking. Her eyes were glued on the ground just before her feet. Over the past few months, she had managed to walk almost 6 feet of the 12 foot set of bars set up in the gym room of Tobias's house. Every night she would take time to do her stretches and exercises before moving to the bars and try to set a new record for herself. It was a slow and painful process but she was stubborn and refused to give up.

She looked up and gave Aster a shaky grin before taking another faltering step. Her arms shook, her legs burned, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the rails but she shuffled a few more feet before the world tilted dangerously and she saw the ground coming up to greet her at an alarming rate.

"Whoa there, mate," said Aster, his strong arms wrapping around her torso, stopping her before she could hit the ground.

He sat down on the ground with her as she caught her breath, her limbs trembling from the effort she'd exerted. She leaned against him, too tired to sit up on her own.

"Well done, Jacky," said Aster, smiling down at her. "You broke your record by two whole feet."

"Yay me," grumbled Jacky good naturedly.

"Chin up, soldier."

"Shut up. I'm too tired to care."

"Fair enough," chuckled Aster, pulling her into his arms and standing. "Let's get you to bed."

"You're not the boss of me," said Jacky but the effect was ruined by the smile in her voice.

Aster could tell that she was proud of herself. He deposited her on her bed in the basement.

"I'm all sweaty and gross," complained Jacky, inspecting her arms.

"I'm done with the shower if you want it," said Tooth, walking out and toweling her hair dry, streaks of purple, green, and blue she had added sparkling with water drops.

"Yes please," said Jacky, squirrel jumping off the bed into her chair and rolling herself into the bathroom to wash up.

"We're watching a movie after if you want to join," called Tooth as the door shut.

Aster stretched and sat on the couch where Nick was and watched as Sandy narrowed down the movies until at last he settled on a documentary about the ocean. By that time, Jacky was out of the bathroom, her hair damp and unbrushed, sticking out at odd angles. She wheeled over to her bed and sat on it, leaving the chair she hated so much sitting on the side. Though she was working on walking and could feel her legs, coordination and strength were still a problem.

"Are you going to watch the movie with us?" asked Tooth, pulling her multicolored hair into a high ponytail.

"Yeah," said Jack. "What are we watching, Sandy?"

Sandy signed over the couch to Jacky.

"I love documentaries," said Jacky. "And fish. If I could be any animal right now it would totally be a fish. Or maybe I'd be an arctic fox. Yeah, I'd be an arctic fox for sure. Those things are so beautiful and cunning. But I would never want one as a pet, I want a dog instead. I think a German Sheppard or mastiff would be awesome."

"There is no way you are getting a mastiff ever," said Aster, walking over to the bed. "Those things are huge and one would eat you without a doubt."

"Those dogs are as big as horses," said Tooth. "Where would you keep one?"

"You could ride it if you wanted," offered Nick.

"Stop giving her ideas, you aren't helping," chided Aster. "Come on, let's watch the movie."

Jacky climbed onto his back, laughing as Aster carried her upstairs with the others and to the big television room.

The change over the past few months in Jacky was outstanding. She laughed at every opportunity, she let other people touch her at times, and she even warmed up to Tobias. At school she excelled even with her time out and being younger than most people. Her favorite person was still Aster and the two were inseparable. They did everything together but it wasn't just a change in Jacky that was noticeable. Aster as well smiled more, was more relaxed, and had begun to allow Tobias to step in as a parental figure, even if he refused to admit it.

In the television room Sandy worked on getting the movie set up while the others arranged themselves in a comfortable heap. Tobias walked in with a huge bowl of popcorn and settled next to the teenagers on the platform he had made out of old crates and covered with cushions to make them more comfortable.

"How was your first day of summer?" asked Tobias, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"Fantastic!" said Tooth, leaning against her boyfriend Nick while she beamed at the caretaker. "I went for a walk and Nick and I did some shopping and now we're going to watch a movie."

"It wasn't bad," said Aster. "I slept, painted, and read some."

"Sandy says he likes being out of school and he wrote a story today," said Jacky, translating the signs the others were still struggling to learn. "Sandy! I'm not telling them that, it would ruin the surprise."

"What?" asked Tooth, curiosity already clawing at her insides.

"Don't worry about it," said Jacky. "I read a book and broke my record on the bars."

"That's wonderful, Jacky," said Tobias, smiling at the young girl.

Sandy pressed play and joined them on the platform as the opening credits rolled. Before the movie was even a third of the way through, Jacky had fallen asleep, her head on Aster's shoulder. In response, Aster wrapped one arm protectively around her. It was a subconscious action that only Tobias noticed but as the older man watched not the movie but the five teenagers that had come to mean the world to him, he couldn't help but feel complete satisfaction with how his life had turned out and he couldn't wait for the joy the summer was bound to bring.

If only he knew.

***Yes, the sequel. Oh the things I have planned for this story. Thank you for putting up with the wait. I wanted to take a breather from it and get the outline done first before beginning the posting part. And don't forget my promise- there shall be love!**

**Wish me luck (I am not a romantic person so we shall see how this goes)!**

**Always- Ari**


	2. Wait, Where?

"I hate the cold," he muttered to himself, rubbing his chapped hands together in a vain attempt to warm them. "And nature. I hate nature."

Pulling the black knit hat more firmly around his ears, he tried once again to get comfortable on the unforgiving ground. The position was fine for a few seconds before a rock the size of Russia set up shop under his spine, digging painfully through the clothes and layers that did little to fend off the frigid Canadian night air.

"This is not how I wanted to remember my birthday."

"Oh, quit your whining," snapped Pitch from his place in the shadows. "You'll wake everyone up and I am not dealing with 4 other grouchy idiots."

Claude grumbled a few incomprehensible things but tried to fall asleep all the same. Pitch tugged absently at the long black duster sleeve, eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of danger. His breath was prevented from clouding in front of his face by a navy blue scarf wrapped over his mouth and nose. He found the watch dull as night after night, for three long weeks, no sign of a search party had come near them. He had been sure to plan their escape so perfectly he doubted anyone would notice their absence in time to alert the girl and her friends. He viewed his watch more as something to do in the long night hours than anything else.

Pitch rarely slept. When asked he would scoff and declare that sleep was for the weak but in reality he hated the dreams that infested his mind when he tried to rest. They were not unpleasant-they would have been easier to face if that were the case-but they always left him waking up more tired than if he had never slept at all.

"Soon," he whispered to himself as a grin stretched his cold lips.

-break-

"You're going where?" said Nick, trying to make sure he had heard Tobias correctly.

"Iowa," said Tobais. "My daughter-in-law just called and said that my son is terribly ill and that I should get there as soon as possible."

"How long will you be gone?" asked Tooth as she helped Tobias pack.

They were all together, Jacky and Sandy sitting in the doorframe of Tobias's bedroom, Tooth flitting around the room packing with Tobias, Nick on the bed, and Aster leaning against the wall near the window out of the way. Tobias had called them there after he got off the phone.

"Well actually, we're all going," said Tobias, looking out of his closet. "I hate leaving you all alone and after the last time I really don't want to leave you and I don't know how long I'll be gone. So, we're all going. Our plane leaves in three hours, we'll be leaving for the airport in 45 minutes. I'm really sorry, kids, about the change of plans."

"I've never been to Iowa before," said Jacky with a smile. "It'll be fun to go there. Where exactly in Iowa are we going?"

"It's a really small town called Rake," said Tobias, relief showing on his face at how happy at least one of the kids seemed. "It's just south of the Minnesota boarder. My son is a farmer there. He loves it. It's a quaint little town but I do mean little. There's not much to do around there."

"That's okay, we'll keep ourselves entertained," said Jacky. "You just concentrate on your son. Come one guys, let's go pack."

Aster gave Jacky a piggy back ride to the basement where they all set about packing. Jacky, who still did not own very much, was ready to go in record time and settled on Aster's bed while the others packed.

"I thought Tobias didn't speak to his children," said Nick.

"He said that some of them don't talk to him and that they are all over," corrected Aster. "I wonder what his son is like."

"Well I just can't believe we have to go to the middle of nowhere," complained Tooth.

Sandy rolled his eyes as Jacky who giggled.

"I had plans for this summer!" said Tooth. "I was going to do things."

"I doubt we'll be there for the entire summer, sweetheart," said Nick, giving her a quick kiss. "We're going for Tobias, remember. He's been more than kind, it's the least we can do for him."

"Where the hell is Rake anyway?" said Aster as he zipped up his suitcase on his bed.

"It's a few miles north east of Buffalo Center," said Jacky. "And, because I know what you are about to ask, Buffalo Center is on Highway 9 but the closest town you may have heard of is Forest City, which is east and a bit south of Buffalo Center."

"How on earth do you know that?" said Tooth, looking at Jacky as if she had grown horns and sprouted wings at the same time.

"I did a project on Albert Lea, Minnesota once and that is near the Iowa boarder. The map I used had some of the towns in Iowa labeled."

"You put way too much effort into your homework," said Aster. "Come on, we had better go see if Tobias needs help. Who all is ready?"

Sandy raised his hand while Nick said he just needed a few more minutes. Tooth was nowhere near ready to go. Sandy walked over to Aster's bed, pushing the wheelchair in front of him as he went. With a dramatic sigh that belonged on Broadway, Jacky sat in the chair, her bag and Sandy's suitcase riding on her lap.

It took almost twenty more minutes before they left, another ten to get to the airport, they had a slight wait at the airport before their flight took off, and then a drive from the airport in Ames, Iowa to Rake. It was well into the evening before they reached Rake which-as Tobias had warned them-was tiny. It was so small that there was no place to stay in Rake so after stopping briefly to check on Tobias's son, who was resting at his house, they drove to Buffalo Center and stayed at a little cottage for rent.

"This place it insane," said Tooth, setting her bag down in one of the two bedrooms. "How can anyone live here?"

"I like it," said Jacky, bouncing on the couch which had been pulled out into a bed. "It's cute. Plus, there's more to do here than in Rake. Did you see that park just down the street? It has a pool and everything."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed," said Tooth who was in one of her moods.

Tobias had already retired to the remaining bedroom. Aster, Nick, and Sandy were sharing the living room which had a pullout couch bed and cot, while Tooth and Jacky had the second room. However, Jacky and Tooth lasted a few minutes in there before joining the boys in the living room, being too used to sleeping in the same room as them to be able to fall asleep without their comforting noise. Nick and Aster dragged in the two mattresses and they put on a movie in the old television before falling asleep, the doors unlocked, windows cracked to let in the night breeze and sound of summer, surrounded by farmland and little else.

None of them heard the back screen door push open.

***How did Pitch and Claude escape? What is Tobias's son like? Why did the door open? So many questions and I have all the answers! :)**

**Always-Ari**


	3. Merry-Go-Round

"That is the tiniest bathroom I have ever seen," said Tooth the next morning, toweling her hair dry in the living room. "Seriously, getting out of the shower my butt hit the wall and I'm not fat!"

"It's not so bad," said Jacky, laying on the folded up couch with her head and shoulders hanging off the edge and legs in the air resting against the wall.

Tobias had already left to visit his son; they were deciding whether or not to move him to the hospital an hour away or not today.

"Sandy!" laughed Jacky at what Sandy had signed.

"What did he say?" asked Tooth, always upset at being left out of the loop.

"He said," said Jacky, still sniggering. "Tooth, just think about how many bare butts have touched that wall."

"Sandy," scolded Tooth, appalled while Aster and Nick roared with laughter, scaring the hider who had snuck in the night before out of his hiding place.

A black cat streaked out of her hiding place under the kitchen sink and took a flying leap onto Sandy's shoulder to hide behind his neck. Sandy stood in shock, unsure of how to react with a strange cat sitting so close to his jugular.

"Kitten!" cooed Tooth, trying to get closer. "How did you get in here?"

Sandy waved her away when the cat dug her claws into the soft skin just behind his neck. His pudgy hand stroked the cat, calming it until it began to loosen it's grip and purring filled his ears. His smiled as the cat rubbed it's head against his blonde hair.

"She's adorable!" said Tooth, hovering in a way that showed how much she wanted to touch the cat. "Can we keep her? Please?"

"We'll have to ask Tobias," said Nick, placing a large hand gently on his girlfriends shoulder. "She may belong to someone already in which case we aren't going to steal her."

"But if she doesn't belong to anyone and Tobias says yes, can we keep her please?"

Sandy nodded then glared at Tooth and finger spelled something.

"That's a beautiful name," said Jacky.

"What's the name?" whined Tooth. "You guys know I can't speak sign language! Just talk like normal people!"

"You don't speak sign language, you sign it," said Jacky, her smile fading. "And you could learn it if you quit depending on everyone to translate for you. I'm going to go explore the town, why don't you work on finding where you packed your social skills."

Jacky stood up and wheeled her chair to the front door leaning heavily on the handles, Aster following close behind like an overprotective parent with a toddler just learning to walk. Just outside of the door, standing on the old porous sidewalk, Jacky looked back over her shoulder at the still silent Tooth.

"Sophie," said Jacky, her blue eyes cold. "That's the name Sandy picked. Sophie, after his mom."

And then she was gone with Aster, leaving Sandy standing there with Sophie, the cat oblivious to the tension, and Tooth looking as if she had been slapped.

"Where do you want to go?" asked Aster, pushing Jacky through the street because the sidewalks were either too small or nonexistent.

"I guess we'll go towards Main Street," said Jacky, tipping her head back to look up at her best friend. "There's not much else to do here and I think I saw a park last night near there."

She was right. A few blocks away was a small park with a grass field, old fashioned slide, swings, and merry-go-round with a gazebo off to the side, all placed behind the east side of Main Street. Aster and Jacky settled for lounging on the merry-go-round, both on their backs staring up at the sky, heads in the center as the metal toy spun in a laze circle.

"Snapping at Tooth was rude," said Jacky after a stint of silence.

"She deserved it," said Aster, his gaze not leaving the forming clouds. "Nick certainly won't put her in her place, she can't understand Sandy unless he writes it down, which he hasn't done since you came around, and Nick would crush me if I made her cry. You're the only one she'll listen to anyway. It's stupid but she wants to be your friend so badly, she just doesn't know how to do it."

"Aster, I've been thinking. I know this has nothing to do with Tooth or what just happened, but whatever. You know, you're not a bad person-a little rough on the edges but overall you're a pretty nice guy."

"Um, thanks, I think."

"Are you still interested in dating me? Oh wow, that came out all wrong. Now it sounds like a business deal than me asking you out-which I'm not doing either. I've just messed this all up. What I mean is that I like you and I want to date you but if you've moved on and don't want to date me then I totally understand and I don't want you to feel pressured or anything."

"Would you shut up, mate?" said Aster, a smile in his voice.

Instantly Jacky became quiet, unsure of herself, hands pulling anxiously at her top while she chewed on her lower lip.

"Jacky, you're my best friend in the entire world," said Aster, rolling to his side and staring into her eyes. "You changed everything when you moved to the orphanage. You say I'm this great person and all that but before you I couldn't have cared less about anything. Sure, I got along well enough with Sandy, Nick, and Tooth, but I didn't want them to be close to me, they could have left and I would have been fine. Then this small girl, soaked to the core, knocks on the front door claiming to be Jack Frost and ends up having to room above me. See, I didn't plan on liking that girl but she was just too odd to ignore. And I fell for her. Jacky, you've had a bad hand dealt to you before all this but I promise, if you will be my girlfriend, I will do everything in my power to change that."

"I would really like to be your girlfriend," said Jacky, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "But I have one question. Why me?"

"Because you've seen me at my worst and didn't flinch, because you're always up for an adventure, because you make everything more fun, because you never let things get you down for long, because you balance me out, because you make me want to be a better person, and because you've never left my side since you walked into my life."

"So, does this mean we're dating?"

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"About time, too," said Nick, strolling over with Tooth, Sandy, and Sophie the cat. "I thought we were going to have to take drastic measures."

"Stay out of it, it took you three bloody years to get up the nerve to ask Tooth out," snapped Aster. "So just shove off."

Sandy sat himself down on the merry-go-round next to Jacky. Eventually Tooth and Nick joined and the teenagers whiled away the morning spinning in circles, talking, getting strange stares from the locals, and waiting with Tobias to tell them what was happening. They didn't even notice the lanky teenage boy taking a picture of them, they didn't know he posted it online with a goofy caption about strange city folk in Buffalo Center, Iowa, and they didn't know that their summer in a small town was about to get much more interesting.

***I may be in love with Sandy's personality. He is just so sassy! I love it...but that may just be me. Hope you enjoyed it! Always-Ari**


	4. Midnight Adventure

"We've decided to move my son to a larger hospital," announced Tobias that night at the cottage. "I've been talking it over with his wife and my other children and we have chosen one in Minnesota that is close to my daughter Sabrina and her husband Richard. Now, do you kids want to go there or do you want to go back to Burgess? I can arrange for that to happen and I don't know if I'll have to stay with him the entire time, it just depends on how things look once he's moved."

"We'll go with you," said Jacky, loading the dishes into the dish washer as Nick handed them to her. "It'll be fun to meet some of your children. Besides, it'll be easier this way."

"Are you all sure?" said Tobias, putting the larger pans back in the cupboards.

"Yes," said Nick. "When do we leave?"

"I'd like to go tonight if we can so we can find a place to stay and check out the area. But it's about a three hour drive so if we want to go tomorrow we can if we leave first thing in the morning."

"Tonight," said Tooth a bit too quickly. "Let's go tonight."

"It's almost ten," said Nick. "We should just pack tonight and leave early in the morning. That way we can get some sleep for the drive and it'll be easier to find somewhere to stay."

"I'm with Nick on this one," said Aster. "Pack, sleep, leave."

"Alright," said Tobias with a smile. "I'll pack my stuff and then go to sleep. We're leaving at 6am. Don't stay up too late."

"Good night, Tobias," called the teens to their foster father.

They finished up the dishes and set up the living room for bed. Jacky put in a movie, they all threw the blankets, cushions, and pillows on the ground and settled in a big pile, falling asleep to the soft, familiar glow of the television screen as the movie masked the sounds of the night.

The back door creaked open and in entered a towering few figures. They crept through the kitchen, past Tobias's bedroom, down the short narrow hall and into the living room to find a jumble of teens. Nick was on the edge near the front door cuddling his girlfriend Tooth. Sandy slept on the other edge with a black kitten curled up on his chest. In the middle lay Aster and between him and Sandy was Jacky, eyes closed, breathing even, blonde hair laying in a messy halo around her face.

"Just the blonde girl?" whispered one man.

"No, he wants all of them I think," replied another. "Let's do this."

A chair was quickly placed in front of Tobias's room before the four men went to grab the teens.

"Make sure to get the blonde girl and the two bigger boys secured," hissed one. "The other two will be less problematic."

They nodded and grabbed.

Tooth woke screaming when she was roughly shoved away from Nick as he was pulled up by one man. She rolled under the couch, the old style flaps falling back over to cover her slim form. She put her hands to her mouth to muffle her sobs and watched as her friends fought, squirmed, yelled, and eventually were dragged out of the front door leaving a mess of blankets, pillows, a kicked over end table, and empty living room. She waited for ten minutes before creeping out and opening the door for Tobias who was screaming inside his locked bedroom.

"They took them," sobbed Tooth, throwing her arms around the guardian. "They took them all and I just sat there hiding. I didn't stop them. I couldn't stop them. They took Nicky! They took my Nicky and Sandy and Aster and Jacky and I didn't do anything."

"Sh, sh, you're okay," said Tobias, very shaken as he took in the living room. "Calm down, calm down, we're going to get them back. I need you to try to calm down though, Tooth, and tell me exactly what happened. We're going to call the police and we're going to get them back but it's very important for you to calm down and tell me exactly what happened. Come on, it'll help us find them faster."

-Break-

"Is everyone okay?" asked Nick, shifting in the dark, cramped space.

They had been locked in the bed of a pick up, the hard top secured and keeping them from figuring out where they were. It was pitch black and Sandy knocked twice to signal his state of being.

"I'm fine," said Aster, feeling his way around in the dark.

"I'm okay," whispered Jacky, her voice shaking as she tried to cover up her fear. "They didn't get Tooth. I saw her hide under the couch."

Jacky squeaked when Aster's questing hand made contact with her arm.

"It's just me," said Aster soothingly, pulling her closer to the rest of them. "I've got you. We're going to be fine."

"You don't have to lie to me," said Jacky. "I know they came for me and you all were caught in the cross fire. There's no other reason they would have come to the middle of nowhere Iowa."

"We'll figure something out," said Nick, his voice more confident than he felt. "Tooth and Tobias will have already called the cops and they'll be searching for us now."

Jacky just shook her head and wrapped her arms around Aster. For several minutes she fought it but eventually the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes broke free and paraded down her cheeks but it was too dark for anyone to witness. Aster felt his sleep shirt becoming damp and kissed the top of his girlfriends head. He knew that in her mind she was, like him, reliving her last kidnapping experience and as her trembling got worse he knew he had to push aside his own fear and distract her.

"Hey Jacky," said Aster, his voice low and calm. "You want to hear a story?"

"What?" said Jacky in a watery tone.

"I'm going to tell you a story. It'll be fun."

"Okay," said Jacky slowly.

"Alright. Here it goes. It's a fun variation of that story you read us ages ago with my own twist.

"It kept her up at night, four years, seven months, and twenty-one days later, after kissing her boyfriend goodnight, turning off the overhead light, leaving the ceiling fan to spin on low, and snuggling up under her Confederate Flag blanket, she would close her eyes and not fall asleep, her mind racing around in a circle of what-if's and should-have-done's. Her only consolation was that in game she played in her mind of 'The Floor is Lava', she was still sitting on a safe patch," began Aster. He could feel Jacky relaxing as he spoke.

"The night had been like most early summer nights in Oklahoma, dry with a light haze of red dirt drifting on the wind that swirled through the moderate city streets. Emmy watched Jaymi emerge from the movie theatre with her younger sister and head towards the street

"Savannah was just caught in the cross fire, collateral damage, and the night Emmy spotted her outside of that movie theatre with her sister, she let her right foot become a brick on the gas pedal, ran the red light, and slammed into the sophomore. Later that night as she washed her car at an all night quarter run self service car wash, Emmy was disgusted with all the blood that dyed the suds pink as she rinsed off her red 1990 Volvo 240, glowering as they ran down the drain, knowing it wasn't Jaymi's blood, knowing she would have to see the girl at school the next day, and hating herself for missing.

"It's not like pouring coffee required a lot of skill. It was simple, just a tip of the transparent pot and the rich dark liquid would slosh into the mug like a miniature waterfall. Any person with two working eyes and a steady hand could accomplish that task without mishap. It was just her luck to get the only server in the restaurant who lacked either one or both of those skills. The result- a sticky side of the cat covered coffee mug pointing to the sickly sweet ring circling the bottom of the cup. Her eyes bore into the slight mess, her mind elsewhere.

"Eventually she threw some money on the table, leaving enough to pay for her untouched drink with a dollar to spare, and left. Outside it was raining steady sheets of polluted water. She rushed to a nondescript black Jeep, got in, and turned it on. As she drove, she kept the heater off to match the broken radio, the only source of noise the rhythmic squish of windshield wipers and whoosh as other cars drove past.

"Faded blue, 3 stories, the lawn lush green and slightly overgrown, it was almost like the rest of the houses had taken one look at the contrasting architectural styles and jumped back, leaving it on its own block. Outside the emerald green front door sat several pairs of old rain boots with flowers springing out of them. She didn't like those flowers but resisted the urge to kick them; ruining flowers would taint her crystal clear reputation. The door of her boyfriend's house was unlocked, as always, and she prayed his housemates wouldn't be home.

"Upon entering the house the smell of fresh coffee and cookies wafted around her body, snaking up nose, soaking into her brain, drawing her to the kitchen in the back where a young man, his wild black hair sticking out at all angles, was with his back to the door.

""Is this decaf?" she asked, taking a green cup out of the soft brown wooden cupboard, actively avoiding the purple mugs that were Jaymi's favorite.

""Decaf coffee is an insult to coffee everywhere," replied her boyfriend's housemate Tyler, washing a cookie sheet in the industrial double sink.

""Good, at that point, I'd rather just drink mud," said Emmy, her voice overly perky even to her own ears.

"Tyler grunted in response but poured her a mug before pushing her towards the door. She mounted the creaky wooden stairs in the back corner of the kitchen, and went into the dull grey bedroom that was her boyfriends. Her desk was littered with scraps of paper, a green lamp on the far right corner illuminating the papers, throwing them in to harsh relief as the only source of light in the room. She took a deep sip of the steaming brown liquid, set the cup on the bedside table next to several other empty mugs, and cast herself onto the navy blue full bed, rumpling the poorly made comforter. She kept the main light off, allowing the desk lamp to make the shadows darker, soaking in the filtered glow from the only window in the room. Her casual dark wash jeans and flowing sunshine yellow shirt clashed with her red velvet cupcake colored hair. With eyes open she looked younger than her 23 years.

"Tyler didn't like her and it bothered Emmy to no end. She went out of her way to be nice to him, took his side even when he was wrong, she even started drinking coffee just so they would have something in common but no matter what she did, Tyler seemed determined to hate her. Emmy knew he was Jaymi's boyfriend and it was because of that fact that she wanted him to like her so badly. If she could just get Tyler's approval then Emmy would have one more way to toy with Jaymi.

"Her obsession with Jaymi began when they were juniors in high school and Jaymi started dating Emmy's ex boyfriend Phil. It wasn't that Emmy still liked Phil, it was that when Phil started dating Jaymi he quit trying to get back together with Emmy and that made the girl mad in a way she couldn't explain. Boys had always gravitated towards her, not Jaymi. What did that raven haired imp have that she did not? So Emmy began maneuvering them so they would eventually break up and Phil could go back to admiring her. From there, Emmy realized how much of a challenge it was to make Jaymi cry, the girl seemed unnaturally happy, and she felt a thrill of triumph every time the girl broke. What had at first been an act of spite turned into a game which transformed into a hate filled obsession that would only end when Jaymi was dead.

"In high school, Emmy had been an amateur, trying to run the girl over with her car. Now she was thankful she'd hit the other instead because it would be so much sweeter a victory when Jaymi killed herself.

""Well hey there beautiful," said a deep voice as she opened the front door.

""Jason!" said Jaymi, throwing her arms around his neck, launching them both back into the rain.

""Hey," said Jason, chuckling and spinning her around. "I missed you too."

""You're back. What are you doing here? Oh my goodness, I've missed you so much. Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

""And ruin the surprise?" said Jason, taking a step back. "Let me look at you. You haven't changed a bit!"

""I never change. Come on, soldier, let's get out of the rain. I can't wait for the others to see you!"

""Don't tell me you're still living with all those idiots."

""Hey now, they're your friends too."

"Jaymi was giddy with excitement as she pulled the close cropped strawberry blonde haired young man still in his army uniform through the doorframe. For ten long months he had been abroad and they'd only managed to exchange letters and a few phone calls. His face was chiseled, cheeks ruddy, hands rough, every bit the handsome young soldier girls swooned at.

""So, how's mom?" asked Jason.

""You didn't tell her you're home?" said Jaymi, glancing over her shoulder an raising an eyebrow.

""No."

""Jason, come on, it's our mother. You should talk to her."

""Jay, you know why I can't do that."

""Look, I appreciate it, but-"

""She still won't talk to you, will she?"

""No," said Jaymi, defeated.

""Then I have nothing to say to her."

"Jaymi shook her head, refusing to be brought down by her brother's mood. She rattled on about the current events, catching him up from her last letter while dragging him to the kitchen where their friends were cleaning up from dinner.

""Jason," said Emmy, launching herself across the room to her boyfriend. "I didn't know you were coming home."

"She kissed him passionately, making as big of a show as possible to remind Jaymi that while she may be his twin sister, Emmy was his girlfriend and gave him something Jaymi never could. When they finally surfaced for air, Emmy realized Jaymi was near the pantry with Tyler, whispering furiously about something. The way Tyler kept glancing at Emmy made her uneasy, but she linked hands with Jason and lead him to the living room to talk.

"Jaymi stared at the retreating back of the girl with her brother, feeling her world alter and shift. It was like she was five again, playing the floor is lava with her friends, unsure of the outcome, balancing on the backs of couches, trying to jump to the next patch of safety, her heart pounding with fear and exhilaration, only this time the danger was real, the couches disappearing into words and people were actually dying and Emmy was sitting on the lone safe patch, out of reach and impervious to the heat, untouchable and watching as Jaymi's bit of land got smaller and smaller.

"Tyler was stood in front of her, concern written all over his face. That was one thing Emmy had wanted through high school and college had been jealous of when it came to Jaymi. Tyler, roguishly handsome, tall, and moody, he never looked at any other person let alone girl, with concern or love unless it was Jaymi, even though any girl would love to have it towards her. For her part, Jaymi leaned into his touch, that motion alone telling him how badly she needed him but would never admit it.

""Rough day?" whispered Tyler.

""You could say that," replied Jaymi with a watery smile.

""I'll make coffee," said Tyler.

""Not decaf," said Jaymi absently.

""And love?" said Tyler before he moved away. "I'm sorry, you know, about all of this. I just thought you should know before anything went down."

""No, I appreciate it," said Jaymi.

"Tyler went to move away but Jaymi threw her arms around him as the tears finally hit. With a soft exhale, Tyler held her close, one hand rubbing gentle circles on her back, the other resting on the back of her head, smoothing the usually messy hair down, planting a kiss on the top near her forehead. Tyler worked with the police department as an investigator. They had drained a section of the Oklahoma River for routine maintenance that they did about every five years, and found a red Volvo 204 with the same taped over plate as the one that had hit Jaymi's sister that night.

"Tyler, who had been investigating the car, realized where he had seen it before. Emmy used to drive a red Volvo 240 and the night Savannah was killed he remembered passing her at a car wash on his way to the hospital. He had been in such a rush he'd thought nothing of it at the time and the next day Emmy was driving a Jeep Wrangler. She'd only had the car for a month and said she was borrowing it after she'd totaled her other car. Upon searching the drowned vehicle, Tyler had found an old shirt with his high school logo and the soggy remains of the AP English book. He knew it was Emmy's but had to wait for the reports to be confirmed before any arrests were made. Still, he couldn't help but tell Jaymi, his best friend, trying to give her time to adjust before again, her world changed.

""This is going to kill Jason," said Jaymi, leaning away from Tyler's chest to look at his with her watery blue eyes. "How long do you think it will be before they confirm it?"

""Any time now. They reopened the case this morning and were doing a rush set of tests to try and get the arrest in before any word got out about finding the car."

""Finding what car?" asked Emmy, walking in to get a cup of water for Jason.

""Oh, nothing," said Tyler with a glare.

""They drained the river, you know," said Jaymi, watching as Emmy froze for half a second. "So the water is going to taste terrible. It always taste bad when they drain the river."

""Right," said Emmy. "Well, I guess I'll just have some milk instead."

"There was a knock on the front door.

""Who's that?" said Emmy, her voice faltering as she stared through the kitchen door to the front door just beyond.

""I don't know, you should go check," said Tyler, arms going protectively around Jaymi.

"Emmy was half way through the living room when Jason reached the door, opening it and greeting two police officers, one of which had a warrant in his hand. Before the officer had a chance to speak, Emmy looked down to realize the floor was lava and she was sinking into it, having miscalculated her jump to the next patch of safety, so her final memory was of losing. The end."

"Wow," said Nick quietly. "That was really good!"

Aster looked down and could just make out the top of Jacky's head. Her breathing had evened out and she had fallen asleep sometime during the story.

"Nick, what are we going to do?" asked Aster quietly.

***Well that took far longer than it should have. And I did have this done yesterday but I didn't have internet...I hope you like it anyway! Always-Ari**


	5. First Date

(With Tooth and Tobias)

They had moved to the hospital in Minnesota but Tobias and Tooth spent the entire morning going over every detail with the police before moving. That town had probably never seen so much action before and by the time they left Tooth and Tobias were all too happy to remove themselves from the situation and drive off leaving that little town in the distance that quickly swallowed it up, burying it in corn fields and soy beans as if it never existed at all..

Tooth had settled into the nice hotel room that had a door that joined Tobias's room, the television going but she had long ago quit watching. Set up like most hotel rooms, the door to the hall of the fifth floor was at the front next to the spacious bathroom and closet. Next to that was a kind sized bed in the main sleeping area with the television placed in front of it, the desk to the side, and a giant window with the industrial curtains drawn on the far wall by the air conditioner. She was sitting on the maroon chair in the corner by the window, her feet tucked under and knees drawn up, eyes staring blankly ahead. Her mind kept replaying over and over the night, watching as her boyfriend and friends were taken, cowering under the couch like the coward she was, because when it came down to it, her instinct was flight. The worst moment had been when she locked eyes with Jacky. Jack hadn't tried to get her to help; Tooth could have sworn that Jacky had given her a sad smile, like she understood and did not hold it against Tooth. But that made it all the more difficult because in the end Tooth knew that Jacky not yelling for her, not asking her help, had saved her. After everything Jacky had saved Tooth and Tooth had let her get taken.

"I brought you some dinner, Tooth," said Tobias, entering the room through the shared door with a tray of soup.

"Do you think they are feeding them?" said Tooth quietly, looking at the guardian with haunted eyes. "I don't think they are."

"We'll find them," said Tobias, setting the tray on the desk and kneeling in front of his charge.

"I'm not hungry."

"Not eating isn't going to help them, Tooth. You need to keep your strength up if we're going to get them back."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm not going to sit around waiting for the police to bring my kids home," said Tobias. "I'm going to start looking for them as soon as I figure out a lead. I've been looking into it since we got here and I think I may know how the people even found you in the first place. Once I have something to go off of I'm going after them. I'm not bringing you with me if you're strength is down because you refuse food."

"You're really going to go get them?"

"Yes."

Tooth hugged the older man then went to the table and began devouring the soup as if she hadn't eaten in days. With a satisfied nod Tobias returned to his own room and continued his research on his laptop, trying to pinpoint the location of the rest of the children he had come to claim.

(With Aster, Nick, and Jacky)

"This isn't how I pictured our first date," said Jacky.

They had lost track of how long they had been in the back of the truck. Sandy had discovered Sophie hiding in his shirt and been playing with the cat to pass the time. From all appearances he was unconcerned and acted as if he frequently spent hours on end locked in the bed of a pick up. Was stretched out on one end by himself where he had retreated to do what he deemed unmanly and cry; he missed Tooth and was scared and couldn't face his friends in his moment of weakness. Tactfully, the other three let him be and pretended they weren't aware of the soft sniffs coming from Nick's end of the space. Aster still held Jacky. Her trembling had not stopped though it had eased a bit as time wore on. It seemed that after her initial break down Jacky had realized that there were other people with her and she had taken it upon herself to distract them from the horror at hand.

"What?" said Aster, surprised by the comment.

"I mean, it's not like I thought you would had a limo or Rolls Royce or something but the back of a dirty old truck?" said Jacky, her voice light and teasing. "Come on now. I thought you had more class than trying the whole 'kidnap and hold hostage until she marries me' bit."

"Where on earth is that a thing?" demanded Aster.

"I read it in a book once," shrugged Jacky. "In that book men who wanted a woman but the woman was uninterested just kidnapped the woman and held her until she signed a marriage contract."

"That's stupid."

"It was a book, it wasn't real life, Aster."

"That's still stupid. Who would ever sign a marriage contract with someone who kidnapped them?"

"I'll bet they signed it because they wanted to see their family again and it was the only way out. Or what if the kidnapper was threatening to hurt someone the girl loved? I'll be she'd sign it then."

"It wouldn't be a legal document if it was signed under those circumstances. Their government couldn't just allow that to be a thing."

"In the story they did. It was always a thing and the queen never stopped it because she thought that any woman of worth would find a way to escape like she did. I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm just saying that it's not how I thought my first date with you would end up."

"You're so weird," groaned Aster. "Can't you be normal for just five minutes?"

"I tried that once but then I got bored and went back to being me."

They bantered like that for quite some time, not noticing when the car rolled to a gentle stop, before they were interrupted.

"We haven't moved in an hour," whispered Nick. "What are they doing?"

The tailgate was let down at that moment with a bang that caused all four teens to jump in surprise.

"Come on, kiddos," said one of the men as they yanked all of the kids out of the truck bed. "We're making a stop. And I don't want you ruining the back of my truck."

It was an old house, two stories and an attic, in a neighborhood that was barely lit by street lamps. All of the houses in the neighborhood echoed the house by being old, well kept, and beautiful. The teens did not have the time to admire it though before they were hustled through the front door. Inside was dim but they could just make out a grand staircase several feet beyond the closing front door.

"The boys you may put in the cellar," said a hauntingly familiar voice from the living room just off the entry hall. "I'd like to greet the girl personally. We have so much time to make up for."

***Sorry that took so long. I don't know how many times I rewrote it trying to make it sound better but I still hate how it sounds and just gave up. I'll just have to make the next chapter better. Seriously, I don't know what is wrong with me because I know I can write better than this...sorry.**

**Thanks for reading so far and for your support. Always-Ari**


	6. Canada

***Yes, a note at the beginning because I think I should warn you that in this chapter there are some insinuations to rape. If that triggers anything for you, just skip to the last few paragraphs of this chapter so you know where everyone is. It's nothing explicit and it doesn't even say rape but just as a precaution I wanted to warn you.**

(With Tooth and Tobias)

"Where are we going?" asked Tooth, sitting in the front seat next to Tobias as he drove through the night.

"If I was them I would have left the country," said Tobias. "So we're going to Canada. I have a friend who lives on the border. We can use his land to cross over without customs. I have our passports if we're stopped but it's easier to avoid the authorities in case they try to make us sit and wait."

"But Canada is huge. There's no way we'll find them there."

"Most of Canada is uninhabited. We'll ask some casual questions and do some research of traffic cameras and go from there. We will find them, Tooth. Try to sleep. This is going to be a long night."

(With Aster, Nick, and Sandy)

Sandy was asleep in the corner, sitting up, his cat Sophie curled up on his lap. She had somehow snuck into his shirt and hidden there for the entire ride. It was only when Sandy had been sitting upright for a time that she even poked her head out of his shirt. Nick was sitting leaning against the corner opposite Sandy, his face unreadable. Aster paced the bottom of the staircase periodically kicking the unpainted wood as if that would fix anything. It had been an hour.

"Aster, sit down," said Nick tiredly. "You're wearing me out with all your pacing."

Aster didn't even break stride.

"Come on, this isn't helping anything."

"And neither is sitting on your ass while he has Jacky," snapped Aster. "What if it was Tooth up there? Would you be content to just sit and wait? No, you wouldn't, you'd be where I am right now and I'd be right next to you."

Before Nick could respond the door opened allowing a bit more light than the single bulb hanging in the center of the room did. Jacky was thrown roughly down the stairs but Aster caught her before she could hit more than four stairs. The door was shut before Nick could even stand up.

"Jacky, are you okay?" asked Aster, carrying Jacky down the rest of the stairs and sitting with her in his lap on the far side of the room.

Jacky trembled as she clung to Aster. She did not cry, she did not make a sound, she just buried her face in his shirt, inhaling the smell that was distinctly him, and stayed like that until she got her breathing under control. Aster was content to rock her gently until she spoke, concerned about her but knowing from experience that she would talk when she was ready and not a minute before.

"Pitch is up there," said Jacky after nearly ten minutes.

"Pitch?" said Nick. "What did he want?"

"Remember that night, maybe before Christmas, sometime in December?" said Jacky, looking up at Aster as she spoke. "And I was by the fire?"

"Jacky, please tell me he didn't," whispered Aster, recalling vividly what had nearly happened to her that night months ago.

"No, he didn't," said Jacky quietly. "He toyed with me, though. He's like a cat, Aster. He knows he has us caught and now he's just going to mess with us. He brought up that night, recreated is, and then proceeded as he would have if you hadn't showed up only…..only he stopped just short of actually doing it….because Claude was there and….and he let him do it instead. He wanted to watch. And I tried but I couldn't stop him, Aster. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen, but they are bigger and stronger than me and I couldn't and they just…please don't hate me. I'm so sorry."

"Sh, sh," soothed Aster, stroking Jacky's hair and rocking her gently though inside he raged against the actions she had to suffer through. "I've got you, baby girl, you're okay now. I could never hate you. It's not your fault. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you like I promised, I'm so sorry that I failed you. But I could never hate you and I promise I won't let them touch you ever again. We'll get out of this, I swear."

In response Jacky huddled closer to Aster, trying to drown out her memories with the sound of his heart beating. She knew that he was explaining to Nick and Sandy what had happened, she could hear their various reactions, but she focused on the steady thrum of Aster's heart, because as long as it was still beating then she was okay. He meant it when he said he wouldn't let them touch her again but he couldn't stop them from touching her over again in her mind, he couldn't stop the haunting memory of ghost hands running across her skin, of jagged nails scraping down her legs as they tore at clothing, he couldn't stop the memories so she did what she did best, gathered all of those bad memories and images together and locked them in a little box and shoved it to the back corner of her mind with the other bad memories, to be examined later if she had time, but mostly so she could pretend they never happened and move on with her life.

"Oh," said Jacky, sitting up suddenly. "I forgot. I grabbed this from them."

She held out a key that went to the bars on the only window in the entire basement. The window, at eye level with Nick, the tallest of the teens, was just large enough to fit through but had solid metal bars baring their way.

"How did you get that?" asked Nick, taking the key to unlock the window.

"You're a genius," said Aster, kissing the top of her head. "It doesn't matter how she got it, let's get out of here before they figure it out."

Nick unlocked the bars and pushed them down before hoisting Sandy out. Once Sandy was clear Aster lifted Jacky up and she slipped out easily, her slim form not even touching the sides as she went. Aster followed just behind then helped Nick out. The dim light of predawn was illuminating beginning to outshine the street lamps. The four teens wasted no time in moving out of sight of the house, Jacky riding on Aster's back as they made their way through the darkened old neighborhood until they reached the forest at the edge of the houses that lead into the wilderness.

"Sandy wants to know why we're going here and not to the police," said Jacky.

"Do you know where the police are?" snapped Nick. "Because I sure as hell don't and I don't want to waste time looking for them. This was is south, I over heard them say that we were in Canada, so we'll head this way until we figure something else out."

"They'll discover us missing soon," said Aster as they wove between trees.

On his back he felt his girlfriend shudder.

"We could climb a tree and hide out there during the day," suggested Jacky, making a valiant attempt to get over her nearly suffocating fear. "People never look up."

"Whatever we do we need to do it soon," said Nick, glancing over his shoulder. "We don't have much time."

"That tree up there," said Aster, nodding towards a larger old tree with tangled branches and an enormous amount of leaves to hide in. "We'll hide there for now."

So they scrambled up the tree as best they could, tugging and pulling each other along, higher and higher until they were totally hidden among the ocean of greenery, and then they huddled together in a hollow of a branch hit by lightening several seasons before, and slept.

***Sorry it took so long to update, I was out of town and then haven't had internet and still don't but I stopped at a coffee shop so I could update a couple of my stories. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you all for your support and for reading. Always-Ari**


	7. Grim Odds

(With Aster, Jacky, Nick, and Sandy)

Aster was woken up by Jacky trembling in her sleep. She was in his lap, he was pressed against Nick with Sandy squashed in front of them, the entire area cramped but hidden and cozy. He glanced at his watch, saw he had been asleep for a couple of hours but it wasn't nearly enough. It was clear that she was having a nightmare, but as Aster looked closer, he saw that she was awake, having a panic attack, and unable to calm down.

"Hey, Jacky, come on, calm down please," said Aster quietly.

Jacky buried her face in Aster's shirt, tears streaming down her face, shaking like a leaf, and holding on to him as if she let go she would disappear forever.

"She was always waiting for something," sang Aster softly, smoothing her hair, doing the only thing he could think of to calm her down. "But for what she never knew. And she'd kissed so many frogs by the time she got to you. To you she was a princess, a real live Cinderella. But to her you were a peasant, just some random fella."

Jacky took a trembling breath, breathing in Aster's scent, allowing his voice and smell to tow her slowly back to reality and out of her hellish memories.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt," sang Aster. "He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth. You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes. And she'll realize- You are a prince in disguise.

"Because you love Cinderella and she wants a prince. She doesn't know you're there and that thought makes you wince. You'd be her prince charming if she just gave you the chance But she never sees that coming when you ask her to dance.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt. He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth. You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes And she'll realize- You are a prince in disguise.

"You were always there for her when Cupid got her hurt. She'd run into your waiting arms, her protection on this earth. You always made it better, your smile so disarming And that's when Cinderella met you, her prince charming.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt. He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth. You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes And she'll realize- You are a prince in disguise.

"Yes you realized- I am your prince in disguise."

By the end of the song, Jacky was breathing normally and her shaking had decreased to a slight tremble.

"You okay?" said Aster, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Aster," whispered Jacky, her tone lost. "I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. They said they would kill you guys if I protested at all. I'm so sorry. I understand if you don't want anything to do with me now. I wouldn't want anything to do with me."

"Jacky, listen now and listen good," said Aster sternly. "Nothing could ever make me care about you less. Ever. The sun rises and sets for you alone. Now why don't you try to fall asleep?"

"No," said Jacky. "I don't want to sleep. I'll sleep later, I'll take the first watch, you sleep."

"I'll stay up with you," said Aster, pulling Jacky closer.

So they did, they stayed awake for several hours, whispering back and forth, pausing only for the few heart stopping moments when they heard people moving down in the forest below.

(with Tooth and Tobias)

"It's been two weeks!" sobbed Tooth as Tobias drove through yet another long stretch of Canadian road surrounded on both sides by trees. "We're never going to find them."

"Calm down," said Tobias, though he also feared the worst. "We've been listening to the police reports and truckers, this town seems like the most recent place Pitch has been. If we find Pitch we find the others."

"But we've been chasing him for two weeks and never caught up with him," said Tooth. "We're following shadows and whispers. All we've been doing for the past two weeks is counter attacking, we need to start being on the offensive."

Tobias rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he drove. To him it seemed like they had that conversation every day. He didn't want to tell her but Tobias had learned from a friend in a town that Pitch had just been in that he no longer had any teenagers with him and Tobias feared the worse. That was why he was so desperate to catch up with Pitch, because somewhere out there his kids were and the odds of them being alive were drastically decreasing.

"I'm serious, Tobias," continued Tooth. "I think we need to set a trap or something for him."

"In order to do that, Tooth, we have to catch up with him," said Tobias for what felt like the 1000th time. "We will keep driving until we find them, no stopping this time, and when we find them we will make them give the others back."

The others, them, Tobias and Tooth never said their names anymore, it was by some unspoken agreement that they quit saying the names; it hurt too much because the names brought to the forefront their faces, sometimes laughing, sometimes scared, but they were always alone.

(With Nick, Aster, Jacky, and Sandy)

If the rain continued to pummel the ground much longer, the mountains would level out into plains and the valleys would become lakes. Midsummer was not usually too wet, but the rain, which had appeared to come out of nowhere three days before, did not care if it was supposed to be a dry season. Gray sheets of icy precipitation obscured all distinguishable features on the land until everything blurred together, as if the world had contracted myopia. The one benefit of the persistent downpour was that it hid the slight opening in the cliff face better than the scrawny bushes that grew around it.

"Seriously," said Nick, hair so matted with blood and dirt that the true color of his hair barely revealed itself. "It's fine."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, I asked you to sit still," replied Aster as he gently washed the young man's dirty hair away from his head wound. "Jacky, bring that lantern closer."

Jacky, who had been keeping vigil by the cave entrance, handed the dim lantern over. They had been wandering around the woods for two weeks, having gotten hopelessly lost after straying from the road too far. After the first week they had found an old, dilapidated cabin that held some basic supplies such as a rusted oil lantern with a decent supply of oil, medical supplies (though the medicines were all out of date), and some warmer clothes. They raided the cabin, salvaged as much as they could, and continued on, attempting to find help of any sort.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Jacky. "Play nice, Nick, Aster's only trying to help."

"Shut up, Jacky!" snarled Nick, saying the name as if it was a curse, as more water was poured onto his head.

Jacky chuckled as she moved to tend the small fire that burned well away from the mouth of the cave.

"It's not too deep," said Aster.

"Do you need more water, Aster?" asked Jacky.

"Yes please, warm but not burning. The baby doesn't like hot water."

"Could have fooled me."

The curtain of rain parted for a brief moment by a dark silhouette and the mood in the cave shifted dramatically. Jacky, still next to the fire, picked up a burning stick in one hand and the staff she had made in the other, poised for action. Nick leveled hand crafted spear at the newcomer. Aster adjusted his grip on the knife he had been using to cut the coarse wire that was being stitched into Nick's head. The intruder held up his hands in a show of innocence.

He stepped farther into the light and the small black cat Sophie ran up to him, purring loudly in approval of her owner, Sandy's arrival.

Everyone relaxed their stances.

"You can't sneak up on us like that," hissed Aster as he went back to sewing Nick shut.

You sent me out to get food, signed Sandy, exasperated.

"Don't listen to Aster, he just likes to complain," said Jacky cheerfully; she was always cheerful when everyone was awake. "Did you find anything?"

"I wouldn't have to complain if we had a couple more blankets," grumbled Aster under his breath.

Sandy opened the bag he'd slung over one shoulder and handed it to Jacky, who peeked inside and grinned in delight. Inside were two rabbits and several greens that would flavor a stew. Jacky threw herself into Sandy's arms in an abnormal display of affection.

"You're the best!" she squealed.

Sandy signed something that the others missed but caused Jacky to scowl good naturedly.

"You're being cheeky," said Jacky as she began skinning the first rabbit.

Gripping the rabbit by the ankles, she gathered the skin together and twisted it until it broke. Methodically, she peeled the skin and fur down the legs, to the hips, and finally to the head. Sandy, who could kill but never stomach the skinning and cleaning of an animal, turned away and continued changing into dry clothes as Jacky sliced off the head and extremities with her stolen long blade. Nimbly, she slit the rabbit through the belly, past the ribcage, and to the pelvis, where the blade slipped out of her slime covered hand.

"Bugger," gasped Jacky, dropping the knife on the ground to grasp her wrist.

"What happened?" called Aster.

"Cut myself skinning the rabbit," said Jacky.

"You're all done, Nick," said Aster. "Let me see, Jacky."

"It's just a scratch," insisted Jacky.

"Well, I would like to see it regardless."

Nick walked over, took the rabbit and knife, and continued to clean their dinner as Jacky clumsily switched him spots. Aster gently poured warm water over her bleeding palm, cleaning away the rabbit and human blood to inspect the source below.

"You did quite a number on yourself here," commented Aster, kissing her cheek.

"I'm talented, what can I say," said Jacky cheekily though Aster could tell she was on the verge of a break down. Little things would cause her to melt down though she often fought it until the others were asleep before curling into Aster's arms and crying herself into exhaustion.

"Indeed," agreed Aster, his tongue protruding between his lips in concentration. "And you are a good deal easier to work with than Nick. He fidgets and complains. You just sit and let me do my job. It makes things much easier."

"I heard that!" said Nick from by the fire.

"I wasn't trying to be quiet," replied Aster.

Tidy, even stitches formed a fast line across Jacky's hand in a matter of minutes before being covered in a long strip of gauze and bound by a length of cloth.

"Now, please don't get hurt again for a while," said Aster, patting her on the shoulder when he was finished. "Between Nick and you, we're running out of medical supplies at an alarming rate."

He almost instantly regretted his choice of words as Jacky looked at her lap in guilt. With an almost inaudible sigh, Aster pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," whispered Aster, trying to calm her down as he felt her tears start to soak into his shirt; he knew how much she hated losing control while the others could see. "I just don't want you getting hurt again. That's all. I'm sorry."

Jacky nodded but didn't pull away.

"I want to go home now," said Jacky, her voice heartbreakingly broken.

"Me too, love," replied Aster quietly, looking out at the rain from over her head. "Me too."

***Sorry that took forever! I got so stuck.**

**Hope all is well. Thank you for your support. Until next time. Always-Ari**


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